352 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  23,  19C3. 
the  other,  in  filthy,  pest-infestecl  growth,  neither  good  to 
look  upon  nor  to  handle. 
Eminent  exponents  of  the  germ  theory  as  relating  to  the 
human  system,  assert  that  a  continuous  battle  is  being 
fought  in  our  bodies  between  the  germs  that  are  beneficial 
to  a  healthy  condition  and  those  of  a  contrary  nature,  and 
so  long  as  the  former  are  the  most  numerous  and  hold  the 
upper  hand  so  long  do  we  continue  in  good  health.  May 
we  not  look  for  some  such  analogous  conditions  in  the  in¬ 
ternal  economy  of  plants  ?  If  so,  those  who  declare  roundly 
for  plant  hygiene  have  something  more  to  support  their 
contentions  than  is  usually  accorded  them.  . 
It  does  not  fall  to  the  lot  of  every  practitioner  to  have 
an  extended  experience  of  the  disaster  which  follows  in  the 
train  of  eelworms,  the  fell  enemy  of  Cucumbers  and,  in  a 
less  degree,  of  Tomatoes,  and  some  other  plants.  Various 
and,  in  some  cases  curious,  have  been  the  measures  ad¬ 
vised  for  combating  this  disease.  I  have  tried  a  goodly 
number  with,  it  is  to  be  regretted,  but  a  small  modicum  of 
success,  and  have  proved  to  my  own,  if  not  to  other  people’s, 
satisfaction  that  cultural  conditions  play  a  very  important 
part  in  waraing  off  attack.  For  such  heat-loving  plants  as 
Cucumbers  there  should  be  no  stinting  of  fuel.  To  this 
short-sighted  policy  on  the  part  of  an  employer  an  old 
friend  once  owed  a  most  signal  failure.  With  a  sprinkling 
of  air-slaked  lime  to  the  soil,  a  proper  supply  of  sweet 
manure,  a  high,  moist  temperature,  and  care  in  ventilation 
so  that  the  plants  never  receive  a  check,  much  can  be  done 
to  overcome  this  miserable  eelworm  trouble.  Of  course,  it 
is  only  right  to  expect  this  when  strong,  clean  plants  are 
put  out  in  the  first  place,  otherwise  nothing  but  failure  can 
be  looked  for. 
Much  has  been  written  of  late  years  upon  fungoid 
troubles,  and,  without  doubt,  we  are  in  a  position  of  in¬ 
debtedness  to  those  w'ho  by  their  labours  have  helped  to 
shed  so  much  light  upon  what  was  at  one  time  an  obscure 
and  little  u'atierstood  difficulty.  The  microscope  has  shed  a 
flood  of  lig}»;'bn  the  most  minute  forms  of  life,  where  once 
nothing  animate  was  looked  for,  if  w^e  except  the  select  few 
who  had  then  studied  the  subject.  But  after  all  that  has 
been  written,  all  that  has  been  said,  and  despite  the  re¬ 
searches  of  scientific  men,  we  still  have  blighted  Potatoes, 
diseased  Tomatoes,  and  rust  in  Chrysanthemums  (this  latter 
is  not  so  badlv  as  formerly,  perhaps),  besides  other  infested 
subjects  of  which  these  are  but  in  a  small  wa-"^  illustrative 
of  the  vast  amount  of  troublous  work  to  be  yet  confronted 
by  those  who  labour  in  this  branch  of  horticulture. 
We  have  as  weapons  with  which  to  fight  these  fungoidal 
enemies  powders  and  solutions  of  several  descriptions,  and 
for  some  of  them  at  least  nothing  but  praise  can  be  given 
as  their  meed  in  checking  the  advancement  and  spread  of 
this  class  of  disease.  But  it  is  to  be  feared  we  are  not 
sufficiently  ready  to  use  them.  Simple  remedies  are  sul¬ 
phur  and  lime,  and  the  solution  derived  from  them  is  easy 
to  obtain  and  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  most  effective  to 
boot ;  so  that  if  the  higher-priced  articles  are  beyond  the 
means  of  some  to  obtain,  we  have  these  which  all  can  use. 
Yet  it  is  an  everyday  occurrence  for  one  to  see  plants  suffer¬ 
ing  that  might,  if  early  measures  had  been  taken,  have  been 
growing  with  a  clean  bill  of  health. 
So  far,  consideration  has  been  chiefly  given  to  those 
fungoid  troubles  which  are  of  an  external  nature.  Unfor¬ 
tunately,  there  are  others  of  an  internal  or  endophytal 
character.  For  these  there  are,  as  most  of  us  know,  certain 
specifics  offered,  and  in  some  quarters  highly  recommended. 
There  is  something  to  be  thankful  for  in  the  fact  that 
genuine  efforts  have  been  made  to  quell  these  insidious 
foes.  But  it  appears  to  me  that  here  the  main  principle  to 
be  striven  for  is  the  maintenance  of  health  and  vigour.  By 
raising  free-growing  young  stocks  from,  sO'  far  as  possible, 
clean,  healthy  seed-bearers,  and  by  due  attention  to  cul¬ 
tural  methods,  so  that  the  good  germs  previously  mentioned 
may  keep  at  bay  or,  if  need  arises,  expel  the  evil  intruders 
of  whatever  form  they  may  be. 
A  fine  field  for  the  expenditure  of  energy  opens  up  when 
the  insect  pests  of  gardens  come  to  be  considered.  Under 
glass  or  out-of-doors  they  present  a  determined  front,  and 
it  is  only  by  continuous,  unwearied  effort  that  we  are  able 
to“  obtain  anything  in  the  shape  of  victories  over  them. 
Here,  again,  it  is  the  early  effort  that  may,  and  does  fre- 
quentlv,  save  much  after-toil  and  expense.  The  leaf  or  two 
in  a  vinery  upon  which  red  spider  has  just  begun  to  prey, 
if  sponged  over  or  thoroughly  syringed  for  a  few  davs  may 
often  save  a  whole  house  from  infection.  The  daily  inspec¬ 
tion — lasting,  perhaps,  a  few  minutes — in  hunting  up  soli¬ 
tary  specimens  of  mealy  bug  will  save  hours  and,  it  may  be, 
many  days  of  troublesome  cleaning.  Thrips,  too,  if  caught 
in  their  early  stages  of  existence  by  the  fumes  of  the  fumi- 
gator  or  the  vapour  from  the  vapouriser.  how  much  more 
quickly  are  they  exterminated  than  when  left  to  become  of 
a  maturer  age. 
If  asked  the  cause  of  many  of  these  insects  on  their  in¬ 
ception  in  glass  houses  and  gardens,  many  people  would  at 
once  answer,  weakly  and  filthy  conditions  of  growffh.  Fre¬ 
quently  such  an  answer  would  be  correct,  but  when  one 
sees  the  strongest  and  healthiest  of  the  Bose  shoots  afflicted 
with  a  crowd  of  aphides,  it  is  at  once  felt  that  such  an 
answer  will  not  always  meet  the  case  in  question.  When 
Celery  in  gross  health  becomes  an  eyesore  owhng  to  the 
attacks  of  its  well-known  enemy,  there  can  be  no  question 
of  lack  of  cleanliness  or  vigour.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  though  dirt  in  houses  and  badly-tended  occupants  are 
causes  of  insect  attacks,  it  does  not  always  follow  that  bad 
cultural  conditions  are  alone  responsible. 
It  is  not  easy  to  cite  special  cases,  and,  so  far  as  pos¬ 
sible,  the  subject  has  been  approached  in  a  general  sense. 
Still,  in  these  days  of  insecticides  and  fungicides  and  en¬ 
lightened  progress  there  is  room  for  higher  ideas  and  a 
wider  acceptance  of  the  principles  upon  which  rests  the 
maintenance  of  the  health  of  many  of  the  best-known 
denizens  of  our  gardens. — J.  W. 
« 
- - 
The  Season  of  the  Auricula, 
The  members  of  the  National  Auricula  Society  were  forward  in 
great  numbers  at  the  exhibition  of  the  southern  section  in  the 
Drill  Hall,  Westminster,  on  Tuesday  last,  and  they  were  delighted 
with  what  was  one  of  the  finest  shows  of  this  sweet  spring  flower 
held  during  recent  years.  Looking  over  the  tables  one  could  not 
but  admire  some  of  the  newer  varieties.  One  of  the  most 
reliable  of  the  green  edges  is  Mrs.  Henwood  (Barlow).  It  was 
raised  by  the  late  Mr.  Samuel  Barlow,  Manchester,  from  seed 
sent  him  by  the  Bev.  F.  D.  Horner.  It  is  a  good  grower,  pro¬ 
duces  a  large  truss  of  fine  pips,  ha.s  a  good  tube,  rich  black  body- 
colour,  and  deep  green  edge.  Shirley  Hibberd  (Simonite)  Mr. 
Douglas  thinks  to  be  superior  to  Abbe  Liszt  ;  the  rich  golden 
tube,  .solid  white  paste,  black  body-colour,  and  bright  green 
edge,  form  a  quartette  of  excellent  ciualities,  and  it  has  a  vigorous 
growth.  Add  to  the.se  the  Ilev.  F.  D.  Horner  (Simpnite),  and 
there  is  afforded  good  material  from  Avhich  the  ambitious  exhi¬ 
bitor  can  make  a  selection.  High-class  green-edged  Auriculas 
always  command  a  good  price.  You  cannot  propagate  them  as 
you  can  Verbenas ;  some  make  increase  very  sparingly. 
I  saw  last  year  in  Mr.  Douglas’s  collection  at  Great  Bookham- 
two  new  green  edges  of  a  very  promising  character.  They  were 
Chloe  (Simonite),  having  that  lively  green  colour  on  the  edge  the 
veteran  Simonite  gets  into  his  new  greens,  a  well-proportioned 
flower  of  excellent  promise  ;  and  Greenfinch  (Douglas),  also  very 
promising,  and  likely  to  make  a  fine  and  useful  green.  It  is 
probable  these  two  will  be  shown  by  Mr.  Douglas  on  the  21st.  It 
will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  list  that  Ben  Simonite  has 
materially  added  to  the  list  of  green  edges.  Of  new  grey  edges 
Mr.  Douglas  had  three  of  his  own  raising,  viz.,  Amy  Robsart, 
which  has  a  fine  shaped  pip  and  good  paste,  but  a  little  thin  in¬ 
body  colour,  possibly  on  account  of  the  season;  Olympus,  a  flower 
of  fine  quality,  the  plant  having  handsome  mealed  foliage  ;  and 
Perseverance,  which,  I  thought,  toi  be  the  mo'st  promising  of  the 
three.  These  will  probably  be  seen  on  the  21st.  Of  older  grey.s 
the  chief  two  are  George  Lightbody  (Headly),  Richard  Headly 
(Lightbody)  (there  is  something  touching  in  the  fact  that  these 
two  old  boys  of  the  past  named  the  best  flower  they  raised  after 
each  other),  and  Old  Robin  Lancashire’s  Hero.  When  a  truss  of 
the  latter  becomes  bare  in  the  autumn,  and  kept  down,  it  will 
soanetimes  become  a  very  useful  green  edge.  To  these  may  be 
added  George  Rudd  (Woodhead),  Mabel  (Douglas),  Marmion 
(Douglas).  Rachel  (Woodhead),  Silvia  (Douglas),  and  William- 
Brockbank  (Mellor).  Tbe  last  lias  a  fine  golden  tube  and  rich 
black  body  colour,  but  the  tube  is  apt  to  come  wide  and  the  pip  to 
reflex  a  little ;  it  is  yet  a  useful  grey. 
The  white  edges  are  getting  a  fairly  numerous  section.  The 
newest  I  have  .seen  is  White  Swan  (Dougla.s),  a  promising  and  re¬ 
fined  white  edge  of  the  Acme  type,  which  will  probably  be  seen 
at  the  Drill  Hall.  Among  new  .seifs  are  Cleopatra,  magenta- 
purple,  pip  of  fine  .shape,  and  handsome  mealed  foliage;  Gerald 
(Barlow),  a  maroon  self  of  fine  aliape,  which,  I  think,  will  take  a 
high  po.sition  among  the  seifs;  and  Hero  (Douglas),  a  fine  dark 
self  of  excellent  quality.  Of  the  older  flowers  Black  Be.S'S  (Wood- 
head)  is  mo.st  useful ;  Horner’s  Heroine  is  very  fine  when  perfect,, 
but  it  is  apt  to  come  shaded  ;  Mrs.  Potts  is  a  blue  self. — R.  D. 
